Blog

Q. A group of my employees is swapping investment ideas and trading online. I don’t know if they trade with company computers, but I suspect they do. Conflicts have emerged, and I’m worried about the boundaries of this activity. Can BJC EAP help?

Q. I’m sympathetic to a worker with personal problems that are affecting her performance. She doesn’t want to go to BJC EAP because she says she’s “had it with therapy.” I know I can’t force her to go. Isn’t it better to respect her wishes?

Q. We have a very diverse workplace, and I sometimes correct employees when I see them demonstrating poor tolerance of coworkers’ differences. I am not an expert on tolerance and bias, so can you offer some language, tips, or “phrases” helpful in educating employees?

Q. Some employees seem to have morale problems. My problem is that "poor morale" is a hard thing to document or describe. Is poor morale something upon which I can base a supervisor referral, or is it a symptom of something else?

Q. My employees say they like me because I'm an easy boss. I think they appreciate the fact that I'm not demanding, and am more like one of them. I think they respect me more for it. Do you think I'm right?

Q. My organization will lose nearly 15 percent of its employees in a planned downsizing this year. Should I anticipate that productivity will be negatively affected, and if so, is there anything I can do about it? Will employees simply not care about productivity this year?

Q. My boss wants me to deal with my “anger issues” and suggested anger management classes. I admit that under pressure I sometimes act like a hothead, but isn’t my boss being an “armchair diagnostician” by saying that I have anger issues?

Q. My employee discusses many personal problems at work. One day it’s health issues, the next day it’s problems with her sister-in-law. It’s bothersome to coworkers, and I fear it could influence some to leave the company. Should I refer her to BJC EAP? Is this a performance matter.

Q. Engaging employees is important, but I think the missing piece is making sure they know what they are doing, how they will be measured and how they fit into the grand scheme of things. In other words, clarity and purpose. Am I right?